Prosecutors fine Bosch 90 million euros for emissions cheating role

[May 23, 2019]   BERLIN (Reuters) - Automotive supplier Bosch has agreed to pay a 90 million euros ($100.21 million) fine for lapses in supervisory duties which enabled carmakers to engage in emissions cheating, German prosecutors in the city of Stuttgart said on Friday.

The auto industry's diesel emissions cheating scandal, where carmakers used engine management control software to throttle back real-world pollution levels during tests, was made possible with the help of Bosch technology, prosecutors said.

Privately-held Bosch, the world's biggest automotive supplier, delivered around 17 million technical devices equipped with engine management software, prosecutors said in a statement.

Bosch has accepted the fine and will not appeal the decision, they added.

Prosecutors imposed a 2 million euros fine for a "regulatory offense" and a further 88 million euros to penalize "economic benefits," Bosch said in a statement on Thursday.

Bosch said, "With the issue of the notice of fine, the investigations conducted by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Stuttgart against Bosch as a supplier of engine control units for diesel engines has been completed."

Volkswagen used Bosch software elements to help the carmaker mask illegal pollution in diesel-engined vehicles. Engine management software was used to measure the steering wheel angle to gauge whether the car was on a test bench.

Volkswagen has borne the brunt of penalties and fines for emissions cheating since carmakers, rather than suppliers are responsible for certifying that cars meet clean air rules.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Edward Taylor and Thomas Escritt)

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